Intel® Arc™ Pro A-Series Graphics – Desktop Quick Start Guide
Thank You for Purchasing an Intel® Arc™ Pro GPU. Professional Graphics Begins Here.
Intel® Arc™ Pro GPUs leverage the latest in system technologies to deliver a reliable, stable, and high-performing workstation experience in your business-critical software. To help ensure you get the best experiences from Intel® Arc™ Pro A-series Desktop Graphics, a supported hardware configuration is required, and a few system BIOS settings are critical to configure. This support page guides you through these considerations.
A list of related FAQs is also provided near the end.
PRO TIP: One of the most important considerations for Intel® Arc™ Pro A-series desktop GPUs is to ensure Resizable BAR is enabled on your system. This helps ensure you have the optimum performance experience. Make sure you read the ‘how to’ section included further down this page.
Important Safety Notices
This graphics card is intended to be professionally installed within a closed computer chassis.
Disconnect power before installing, servicing, or removing the device.
Take proper electrostatic discharge (ESD) precautions, such as using appropriate ground straps, gloves, and ESD mats.
Caution: Hot part. Do not touch. Wait more than 5 minutes after turning off the system to allow device to cool before handling.
Moving fan blades. Do not touch the fan when the power is on.
System BIOS configuration can have a significant impact on your GPU performance.
A system BIOS is designed to support configurations for a broad range of devices, and some default configurations may not be optimal for Intel® Arc™ Pro A-series Desktop Graphics. Please review the following guide and ensure your system has these options set correctly to help get the best performance from your Intel® Arc™ Pro Graphics card.
System Requirements
Automatic System Support Detection
Download the Intel® Driver & Support Assistant.
Use the Intel® Driver and Support Assistant (Intel DSA) to quickly and automatically detect if your system is ready for Intel® Arc™ and Intel® Arc™ Pro discrete graphics.
Latest Workstation Graphics Drivers
Download the latest workstation-grade driver for Windows and Intel® Arc™ Pro GPUs here. See the Release Notes for the latest installation instructions, new Independent Software Vendor (ISV) graphics certifications, supported hardware and known or fixed issues.
PRO TIP: Only the dedicated workstation graphics driver includes ISV graphics certifications and performance optimizations. Ensure you are downloading the compatible workstation graphics driver by checking the page header or Release Notes for ‘Workstation’ or ‘Pro’ mentions. This will allow you to access these performance and compatibility optimizations for your Intel® Arc™ Pro Graphics Card.
Supported Hardware Configurations
Resizable BAR or Smart Access Memory must be enabled for optimal performance in all applications using Intel® Arc™ Pro A-series Graphics. Platforms supported are listed below.
Resizable BAR (Base Address Register) is a PCIe capability. This is a mechanism that allows the PCIe device, such as a discrete graphics card, to negotiate the BAR size to optimize system resources. Enabling this functionality can result in a performance improvement.
Additional platforms/motherboards not listed below and with Resizable BAR or Smart Access Memory enabled may also support Intel® Arc™ Pro A-series graphics.
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1 Refer to your system manufacturer's support page to confirm Resizable BAR support.
PRO TIP: Having an integrated graphics card or not (for example, an Intel® Core i9-13900KF processor) does not affect the functionality or availability of Resizable BAR. Refer to your motherboard manufacturer's support page to confirm Resizable BAR support.
Operating System Requirements
- Windows® 10 64-bit 20H2 (October 2020) or newer
- Windows 11* 64-bit 21H2 (October 2021) or newer
- Confirm the Operating System is using the GPT partition type:
- For Windows 11, this mode is configured by default.
- For Windows 10, the partition type can be converted if installed with an MBR partition type.
- Refer to the Microsoft Tool & Guide for more information.
- Confirm the Operating System is using the GPT partition type:
- Ubuntu* 22.04
For the latest supported platforms and Operating Systems, please refer to the compatible driver Release Notes.
Motherboard Requirements
- Full-size PCI Express 3.0 (or newer) x16 slot
- Resizable (Re-Size) BAR support
Steps to Enable Resizable BAR:
- Enter the system’s BIOS/UEFI firmware configuration menu.
- Access Windows Settings. Click the Windows start menu and select Settings on the left panel. You may also use the Windows + I keyboard shortcut.
- For Windows 10: Select Update & Security.
- Select Recovery.
- Click Advanced startup.
- Select Restart now under Advanced Startup.
- Select Troubleshoot. In this window, select Advanced options, then UEFI Firmware Settings. The system will now enter the BIOS menu.
- Compatibility Support Module (CSM) or Legacy Mode must be disabled, and UEFI boot mode must be Enabled.
- Ensure the following settings are set to Enabled (or Auto if the Enabled option is not present):
- Above 4G Decoding
- Re-Size BAR Support
- Use the Intel® Driver and Support Assistant (Intel DSA) to confirm that Resizable BAR is now enabled on your system.
| Note | The Resizable BAR option may be described as Re-Size BAR, Smart Access Memory, or Clever Access Memory. Contact the system manufacturer for specific details. |
Use your system’s latest motherboard firmware supporting Resizable BAR.
Refer to your system manufacturer's support page for further details.
Power Supply Requirements
Power supply requirements may vary; check the manufacturer for specific details. The below is offered as guidance.
Intel® Arc™ Pro A60 Graphics:
- Minimum 600W system power supply with one PCIe power connector.
Intel® Arc™ Pro A40 Graphics and Intel® Arc™ Pro A50 Graphics:
- Minimum 350W system power supply – No dedicated PCI Express power connectors are needed.
Changing End Brackets on Low-Profile GPUs (Optional Step)
The Small Form Factor (SFF) Intel® Arc™ Pro A40 and Intel® Arc™ Pro A50 Graphics cards both come with additional end brackets to help ensure compatibility with a broad range of host systems. You may wish to change the attached bracket for a compatible low-profile or full-size bracket depending on which one is pre-installed on the graphics card and the needs of your host system.
This is easily accomplished on the Intel® Arc™ Pro A40 GPU by carefully removing the two end bracket screws allowing you to replace the bracket, ensuring the new one is securely reattached.
The Intel® Arc™ Pro A50 GPU requires an extra step of carefully removing the shroud and baffle assembly. First, carefully remove a total of six screws located on the sides and top faces of the shroud. Then remove an additional two screws found on the baffle inside that secure the bracket to the I/O panel. Now, you can replace the bracket, again ensuring it is securely reattached.
If in any doubt, consult with your Intel Customer Support team.
PRO TIP: Make sure not to overtighten the screws.
FAQs
Q: What (tray card) warranty is offered with Intel® Arc™ Pro A-series Graphics?
A: For Intel® Arc™ Pro Graphics Cards, there is no Intel Boxed Cards option intended for retail sales to individuals (box); thus, Intel® does not offer a warranty on this product to consumers.
If the Intel® Arc™ Pro Graphics Card is used by PC or system integrators or Original Device Manufacturers (ODMs), they are responsible for providing their own warranty support to the consumer. Intel generally offers a three-year limited warranty solely to direct customers such as ODMs and Intel-authorized distributors.
Consumers must contact their PC manufacturers, system integrators, or ODMs for their warranty support needs.
Q: My system/motherboard manufacturer has provided a firmware update enabling support for Resizable BAR, but I still cannot see the Resizable BAR option!
A: For some systems, you may need to first enable ‘Above 4G decoding’, save the configuration, and restart before the Resizable BAR option is shown.
Q: I am on a 10th Gen Intel® Core™ Processor. Does my motherboard support Resizable BAR?
A: Support for resizable BAR on 10th Gen platforms will vary. Please contact your system/motherboard manufacturer for specific support.
Q: Why do I need to enable Resizable BAR?
A: Resizable BAR must be enabled for optimal performance in all applications using Intel® Arc™ Pro A-series Graphics.
Q: Do I need to update the firmware on my Intel® Arc™ Pro A-series graphics card?
A: No, the graphics card will not require a firmware update. Intel will release required firmware updates as part of the updated driver on a semi-annual cadence.
However, if using a 10th Gen Intel® Core™ Processor-based system, a firmware update for your system platform/motherboard will be required. The latest graphics driver is always recommended; visit Intel® Arc™ Pro Graphics - Windows* for the latest graphics driver and relevant release notes.
Q: How do I check if Resizable BAR has been enabled once I’ve installed my new Intel® Arc™ Pro A-series graphics card?
A: You can use the Intel® Driver & Support Assistant Tool.
Q: Is my Operating System boot mode configured correctly for Intel® Arc Pro A-Series Graphics?
A: Ensure the operating system is using the UEFI boot mode & GPT partition style. For Windows, it is possible to switch firmware modes using the MBR2GPT tool. Compatibility Support Module (CSM) must be disabled, and UEFI boot mode must be enabled.
Q: Which video output supports a variable refresh rate?
A: The preferred video outputs for gaming are the DisplayPort outputs. All DisplayPort outputs support Adaptive Sync for smooth, tear-free gaming.
Q: What should I do if my system configuration is not listed?
A: For configurations not listed in this guide, there may be performance or stability issues. We recommend updating to one of the configurations listed for optimal performance with Intel® Arc™ Pro Graphics.
Q: What ISV certifications are available for my Intel® Arc™ Pro Graphics Card?
A: These supported ISV applications can be found within the latest graphics driver Release Notes or a full summary, including prior ISV software version support; go to our interactive ISV graphics certification tool.
Q: How do I contact Intel® Customer Support?
A: You can find all support options at Intel® Arc™ Dedicated Graphics Contact Us website